Motomasa

Motomasa started spinning as a new musical outlet. “When I could no longer dedicate the hours necessary to effectively practice an instrument, I wanted a new outlet.” As an afficianado of the club/party scene in his hometown Ottawa, Canada, he was fascinated with all the forms of dance music being woven together. “Especially Club Zinc – you could hear Hip-Hop, Reggae, House, Techno, Soul/Funk, all in one night, on the same dance floor!” he reminisces

So in 1989, he bought his first 12″ singles, and started on a journey that would take him through all of those forms of music, and more. In 1991, he started DJing on CKCU-FM with co-host Andres, playing only “conscious” Hip-Hop and Reggae during the graveyard shift on Tuesday nights. Both being architecture students, they had a captive audience of late-night listeners through school, which soon spread throughout the Ottawa area. The show was one of the most listened to graveyard shifts in the city, as was proven by the volume of pledges made during CKCU’s annual Funding Drive.

Later that year, Motomasa would also start to co-host “Planet Rave” on CKCU, Saturday nights from 2:00 to 7:00 a.m. with DJ Teknobrat. The show featured everything from House, Breakbeat, Hardcore, Trance, and Techno. Motomasa soon became known for playing sets that started at 120 bpm house, and evolved into 150 bpm hardcore/breakbeat within 90 minutes.

Through the power of radio, and CKCU’s presence, he and some friends started throwing the first “raves” in Ottawa, often only attracting 50-100 people. “It was all local talent only, and there were kids into it, but not enough.” They kept pushing, however, and after teaming up with some promoters from Toronto, put together a party called “Pure Sensory Experience” with 2 rooms in a central downtown space. “We didn’t know what hit us!” Motomasa recalls. “There was a line half-way down the block! All of a sudden, all the kids came out, and the scene blew up from there!”

In 1993, Motomasa moved to the birthplace of Techno – Detroit, Michigan – pursuing a job in the music industry. While there, he worked at CJAM-FM in Windsor on a weekly show, and played a few smaller events. Before having the time to fully establish himself, the company he worked for – Undercurrent Records – decided to move.

Moving to Atlanta in 1995, Motomasa has since established himself as “one of the city’s most under-rated DJ’s” according to many. Hooking up with Faust and Shortee in 1996, he was quickly inducted into SKC. He also met DJ Eve during the Olympics. “She did so much to help me – hooking me up to play on her show ‘Planet 8′ a few times – we even had a Space Kadets night with Faust, Shortee, and Usul came down from NYC!”

In his now-hometown, Vancouver, Motomasa continues to weave exquisite musical journeys through many styles. “My favorite style is still house, after all these years. To me, it most represents what the ‘Scene’ is supposed to be about. House is joyous, uplifting, feel-good music, and that’s what I started spinning for – to give you that feeling.”

Mixes:

House Music #1: House
Do You Remember?: Old School House
Live at the AOB 5th Birthday: House
Live At Signal Saturdays: House
Live at the Mercury Lounge : House and Broken Beat
Baked and Plated Vol. 2 : House
Molti Stilli, Una Casa: House
Live at Big Trouble: Mash-up Beats
Live at Big Trouble 2: Mash-up Beats
Art Of Beatz Podcasts: Weekly Radio Archives In Various Beat Flavors.